


Grief

by LivinLaVidaLisa



Series: Stories of Thedas (DA writing prompts) [14]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Origins
Genre: F/M, mabari pov, mentions of death and killing, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-14
Updated: 2021-01-14
Packaged: 2021-03-17 03:42:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 697
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28718262
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LivinLaVidaLisa/pseuds/LivinLaVidaLisa
Summary: 14. GriefGuilt and Grief go hand in hand.
Relationships: Mabari & Warden (Dragon Age), Warden & Warden's Mabari (Dragon Age)
Series: Stories of Thedas (DA writing prompts) [14]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2058417
Kudos: 4





	Grief

The group had been in a somber mood since they emerged from the Deep Roads and Elissa named Bhelen King of Orzammar. They each dragged their feet into the royal palace and quietly excused themselves to wash and change themselves. Barkspawn had hopped that since they had left the Deep Roads Elissa would have slept better, but she tossed and turned all night. She'd moan and cried out for those they had lost along the way and for those she feared she'd lose. When she called out to Barkspawn he shifted and licked her face, hoping to spare her anymore worry. 

Elissa's eye shot wide open and she took in several ragged breaths. Barkspawn whined and tucked himself closer to her side, Elissa's arms wrapped tight around his neck. They sat there for a long while, Barkspawn thought Elissa had fellen back to sleep when her grip loosened, but Elissa just rolled onto her back and stared at the ceiling in silence. Elissa let out a tired sigh and rose from their bed and started getting dressed for the day. They hadn't been resting long at all, and Barkspawn knew she must have been exhausted. He whined at Elissa to come back to bed and sleep but she just shook her head and gave him a weary smile, "sorry boy, I just can't sleep. You can stay and rest as long as you need. Don't mind me." Barkspawn yawned and decided to rise early with her then let her stew in her own mind alone. 

Barkspawn knew Elissa had a habit of letting her mind linger on things. Especially things she didn't like and even more so now that she was leading a rag tag group across Ferelden to stop the Blight. A lesser warrior would have cracked under the pressure, but even the strongest of people couldn't with stand all this for too long. It would seem that every loss they took only bolstered Elissa to try harder, to think of better solutions and not accept whatever brutal choices she was forced to make. But Barkspawn can see the tole it was taking on her. Especially after having to kill Paragon Branka. She had promised Oghren they'd find her and bring her back, but Elissa couldn't allow someone who would sacrifice their entire house, their whole family, just to reclaim a lost relic. The boons didn't outweigh the cons and Elissa saw that Branka paid for her miss deeds.

Guilt clearly had it's grasps around Elissa's heart, in doing what was right she had betrayed her word to Oghren. When it came down to it even Oghren fought against his wife, he didn't fight Elissa on it though it was clear Oghren was not okay after the fight. Barkspawn guessed that may have made Elissa feel worse about it. She had went against her word and betrayed Oghren's trust but he still stood by her and fought till the end. Even Barkspawn couldn't help but compare what happened to them at Cousland castle and what happened in the Deep Roads, he worried what Elissa thought of it all. 

Elissa didn't speak, she only walked down Orzammar's palace halls seemingly with no purpose. They kept walking until they entered the dinning hall, there sat Oghren with a full tankard of ale and staring at it mindlessly. Elissa hesitated for a moment before stepping into the room. Oghren looked up to her and after a long pause he tilted his head toward the table. Elissa took that as an invitation and sat across from the dwarf. Oghren poured Elissa a mug of ale and they sat in silence.

Barkspawn grew tense in the quiet. He expected Oghren to yell and berate Elissa. He expected Elissa to crumble and sob at the dwarf's cruelty but neither happened. Barkspawn watched them both for a moment and realized that their silence was amicable. Barkspawn sat himself down by Elissa's feet and she patted his head before returning for her drink. Sometimes words are too hard, and too complicated, Barkspawn understood, sometimes silence with company is the only thing you can do. The words will come later, but for now they sat.

**Author's Note:**

> I really struggled with this one, not in the right head space for it.


End file.
